Nearing The End
by CORNDOG1
Summary: Rating will go up due to graphic gore. heehee. About Harry's summer and year at Hogwarts before he graduates. Romance to develope later between HP/GW


NOTE: First of all I don't own anything except the plot!! All other characters and related themes are masterpieces of J.K. Rowling! I just pasted this title on, take no heed!  
  
  
  
Nearing the End  
  
  
  
Clink….  
  
Clink……..  
  
Clink…………  
  
Harry Potter awoke to the sound of his hand-made iron curtains swaying and hitting the stone wall beside him. His hand made its way over to the base of the rod to silence it, but was taken back when his senses found it cold to the touch.  
  
He rubbed his hands together fiercely, making them warm. He could see his breath, warm, steaming, flowing from his mouth.  
  
Harry tried at the curtains again and fumbled them open. A cold burst of mountain wind met him, but he sucked it into his nostrils like fresh air.  
  
His snowy white owl gave a hoot from the bookshelf nearby, almost to say, 'good morning.'  
  
Harry rubbed at his emerald eyes and ran his hand across the wooden bedside table-If you want to call it a table- and found his rounded glasses.  
  
"G'morning Hedwig…" he said as his slid his glasses on over his ears.  
  
She gave another hoot and glided over to his shoulder, where she nipped his ear affectionately.  
  
He slowly got out of bed and stretched his arms. They almost touched the low ceiling. He was getting tall. He had a great growth spurt over the summer, but he doubted he would ever catch up to Ron.  
  
Harry slipped on his red bathrobe and Hedwig shuffled down to his lower arm as he went out of the room and downstairs to breakfast.  
  
No, the Dursley's hadn't abandoned him and no, he hadn't run away- although he had been pondering that ever since he had been to Hogwarts………  
  
Sirius had written him an owl saying that his name wasn't clear yet, but hopefully would soon be. But- if Harry wanted- he could come and stay with him in the southern mountains where he was in hiding. Dumbledore had approved. He also thought it would be much safer if Harry was with the wizarding kind, he would be alot safer from You-Know-Who. Harry, of course, agreed with this instantly.  
  
He could smell bacon and eggs frying in grease that Sirius had made himself, and bread toasting on the fire that he had conjured up.  
  
"Good morning, Harry." Sirius said, sliding some eggs onto his plate.  
  
"Good morning. This looks delicious…." He said, eyes roaming the plate.  
  
His stomach growled.  
  
"You'd better eat up, Oliver's coming in a half an hour." Sirius smiled, tapping Harry's plate with his spatula.  
  
Harry's eyes widened.  
  
"Oh! It's Saturday!" he had just realized that Oliver Wood came over every Saturday to help him train. Even thought Sirius was great at magic, he wasn't the best on a broomstick.  
  
In a matter of minutes Harry had finished the meal, given some of the scraps to Hedwig, said thanks to Sirius and had bolted up to his room. He flung out his broom servicing kit and began polishing his broom handle. He was almost out of wax. This kit had brought him through years of servicing. He was sixteen.  
  
After he was done, he put on his practice robes and pads and slid on his gloves. Nowadays, Oliver wasn't hesitant to bring out the roughest bludgers.  
  
Harry folded his knees over the broom handle and kicked off. The stone house was big enough to do this. He streaked past the torches in the hallway, making the flames flutter. When he got to the kitchen, he slowed down to a slight hover and sat with both of his legs on one side of the broom.  
  
"I sure wish you wouldn't do that in the house, Harry." Sirius could never trust harry on a broomstick in the house. If he was allowed, he would be doing summersaults and flips in the air- and probably end up getting injured.  
  
"Sorry.." Harry said as the smell of Chocolate Coffee wafted through the air.  
  
"Oliver's here!" Harry ran towards the door, and opening the door, just as Oliver was about to knock.  
  
Oliver Wood had to drink coffee on his flight over here because it was so early in the morning and the worst thing you could do while flying is fall asleep. Who knows what would happen? Probably wake up in a tree somewhere, your broom not to be found.  
  
"Let's start, shall we?" asked Oliver, competitively, his brown-blonde hair shifting in the breeze, his boots and gloves laced tightly.  
  
"Sure." Harry glanced at Sirius, who just nodded.  
  
"This is your last practice before the season starts at Hogwarts, so give it your all. I want you hurting tomarrow…" said Oliver with a glint in his eye, and a grin on his face.  
  
Harry and Oliver played in the air, being that their mountain home is based on a cliff, but nowhere within muggle eyes.  
  
At first Oliver made Harry catch an unbelievably fast snitch-three times. Then out came the bludgers, flying fast and hitting him hard, when they did. Also they did some quaffle passes, just to build his strength and accuracy.  
  
After two and a half hours of practicing, two sweaty, dirty, tired and mangled men made their way into the kitchen. Sirius had two tall tumblers of lemonade ready for them.  
  
"To a great Quidditch season!" They toasted.  
  
They drank down the lemonade hastily, Harry spilling some down the front of his robes.  
  
Soon, Oliver left and Harry took a cold shower and changed, feeling somewhat refreshed.  
  
He gathered some of his textbooks and his wand and headed downstairs to where Sirius was waiting with one of his own books lying in front of him on an old wooden table with uneven legs. This was one of Harry's favorite parts of the day, a time where he and Sirius could bond and share thoughts. This was when Sirius taught Harry magic, and often tested it in true duels.  
  
Harry sat in the chair opposite Sirius and Sirius cleared his throat.  
  
"Tonight I'll teach you an incantation that will be helpful in the future. It is an interesting spell that makes things more exiting- such as a boring lesson at school…."  
  
Harry grinned.  
  
"To be used wisely….of course….but it is quite handy. Extrovertidos is it's name. Flick the wand like this, you see?" He asked Harry, moving his wand about in the air in a pattern which took on the resemblance of an exclamation point.  
  
"Okay…." Harry said as he watched intently, watching his wand movements.  
  
"You try." Said Sirius, putting down his wand on the table.  
  
"Extrovertidos!" yelled Harry, copying Sirius' wand movements.  
  
"You see that nothing happened?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"When there is nothing to be changed or altered, the spell doesn't work." He replied, ungluing Harry's confused face.  
  
He seemed to be making a mental note.  
  
Sirius went on with his lesson. "Another nifty incantation to have around is Attricus. It basically helps things in motion slow down. Not to be used in Quidditch.…" He said flatly, eyeing Harry.  
  
"Oh, you know I don't cheat!" Said Harry, gleaming.  
  
Suddenly, a small scruffy barn owl flew in from the hallway- probably from an upstairs window- and landed on Harry's shoulder. With it came two parcels, one from Ron and one from Hermione. The letter from Ron was abit larger in size and he soon found out why.  
  
"Ginny?" Said Harry, almost to himself, "Why would she send me a letter?"  
  
Sirius had closed his textbook. "Maybe you would like to read them alone." He said, smiling.  
  
"Thanks." Said Harry, still confused.  
  
He read the letter from Ron first….  
  
  
  
Harry,  
  
So what's new with you? Hermione's getting annoying over here. Just this morning she told me how to eat! How are you and Sirius? I guess he hasn't been cleared yet. Anyways, I was just wondering if you'd read the Daily Prophet lately.(Harry sighed, Ron knew well that he couldn't deliver up here….) The Chudley Cannons are on the downfall, and then their Chaser goes down! Sometimes I think even the Gryffindor team is better….well, I have to go mow the lawn. Oh! I'm getting new robes this year! And maybe even a BROOM!  
  
~Ron  
  
Harry sighed. His best friend could be a little odd sometimes. He remembered that after Hermione got back from her vacation to Ireland she was going to stay with the Weasleys until the beginning of their 7th term.  
  
'Poor Ron.' He thought.  
  
Second was a letter from Hermione written in gold ink.  
  
  
  
Dearest Harry,  
  
How have you been? I assume all is well with you and Sirius? I can't believe his name hasn't been cleared yet! It's nonsense! Anyway, I'm sure the board at Hogwarts would not allow a letter to be sent where they have no relations, so I have enclosed the list of schoolbooks for next year. I can't wait until the 7th Year Ball! It sounds so exiting! Sort of like Prom, you know? ( Harry was probably one of the only wizards to know about Prom….)Well, I must get going, Ron is pestering me about taking up the couch. Please write soon!  
  
~Hermione  
  
'Wow. I'm surprised she didn't mention studying. Probably having tons of fun there. With Ron, the Twins, and Ginny…' He thought.  
  
"Ginny!!!"  
  
He remembered the letter and ripped it open. It was written in purple ink.  
  
It read;  
  
  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
How are you? I know your probably busy having fun over there living with Sirius, so I'll make it short.  
  
I just want to know what you've been up to. Have you gone anywhere? Done anything interesting? There's not much happening over here. It's nice to have another girl over here like Hermione to talk to. I think Ron and Hermione are…..bonding. if you'd call it that. (Harry laughed. He always thought his two best friends had a thing for each other….) I'm going to let you go. Write back if you'd like.  
  
Hugs,  
  
-Ginny  
  
  
  
Harry suddenly felt something. He didn't know what it was, but it felt good.  
  
Did it have something to do with Ginny's letter? Or the fact that the school year-his last- was coming up so quickly. He didn't know.  
  
Harry shuffled the letters back into their envelopes and brought them upstairs to his room. He placed them on his bedside table next to some of the others he had gotten over the summer. This would be the first from Ginny.  
  
He went back downstairs and told goodnight to Sirius, who had been collecting firewood, and climbed the steps to his room. There, he collapsed onto his bed with a sigh and took off his glasses. He dropped them on the table beside him and fell into a deep sleep……  
  
  
  
*~*So how did everyone like the first chapter??? READER'S BLOCK!!!! NOOOOO!!!! It was kind of long, but I usually plan my beginnings on being the longest chapters in the fic! R+R please! Flames are taken, but only fed to the fire. (yea yea… I know Sirius could just conjure up a fire, but he had to be doin SOMETHING!!!!) lol. I hope to get enough reviews for this. I have some great plans for upcoming chapters!!!*~  
  
THANKZ!!! 


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